Friendship or Love?
by ChiChiChico
Summary: Shinichi's best friend, Hattori, is in love with her, but when a thief sneaks into her room one night while fleeing the police, will her whole life change? FemShin KaiShin HeiShin one sided.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Kudo! What's up?" the tall, dark skinned Osakan greeted cheerfully, his grin wide and childish. Shinichi looked up from her book—_The Hound of the Baskervilles_—giving him a bored look that was the usual expression of the eighteen year-old girl.

"Hattori," she replied, turning the page. Heiji frowned, hurt that his best friend had greeted him so rudely, and crouched down to put his face closer to the girl, who was lying on the couch in the Kudo Mansion's library, her chin cupped in her palm. She didn't even glance at the boy as her eyes skimmed down the familiar page quickly.

"Come on, Kudo," Heiji complained loudly, poking Shinichi's arm obnoxiously. Shinichi managed to ignore him for a couple of minutes, but Heiji eventually won out.

"_What_?" she demanded, turning her beautiful blue eyes to the boy, her black hair flipping to hit Heiji's face. Heiji frowned at the frustrated tone, but took the moment to steal the book away from her. She snapped out to reach for it, but Heiji was faster. He shut the book and threw it onto the table beside the two. He grabbed Shinichi's outstretched arm and pulled the unwilling girl to her feet.

"You promised to go around Tokyo with me today!" he said, reminding Shinichi of the phone call she'd received the day before.

"_I'm comin' down ta visit ya tomorrow! Yer going to take me around the city, ain't ya?" Heiji asked, and Shinichi, who'd been reading her book sighed tiredly._

"_Yes, yes, whatever," was her reply. Heiji was obviously grinning as he went on to tell her about some case he'd solved before the police had even arrived the other day. Shinichi stopped listening, and finally closed her cell phone once she realized that Heiji had hung up._

"I suppose that's what you consider a promise?" she asked with a frown. Heiji nodded and pulled her out of the library to the door, where he put on his shoes and handed Shinichi hers.

"Yep! Sure do! But don't worry, I've got it all planned out. A trip to the ice-cream shop, then to the art museum, and then to lunch…" he went on about what he wanted to do all day, but Shinichi wasn't listening.

Sometimes, she wished she hadn't met Heiji, and that they hadn't become friends. The boy was so loud, and obnoxious. He visited Beika all the time, bothering her about such trivial things. Constantly, she had to remind him of his life back in Osaka, just so he'd leave her alone for a week.

He took her out of the house, going directly to the ice-cream shop that he'd visited many times before with her. Shinichi got her usual vanilla, but Heiji decided to get a different choice today.

"Hmm," he said cheerfully. "How about cotton candy with caramel sauce and lots and lots of sprinkles!" he told the man taking his order. The guy grinned, writing it down and high-fived his regular visitor. The two had hit it off immediately, almost as soon as they'd met.

They ate their ice-cream as they walked around town, and Heiji told Shinichi about what had happened during the past week that he hadn't seen her at all. Of course, he'd called her at least twice a day.

And for some reason, he kept bringing up Kazuha. He usually didn't, but today, he kept studying the girl's face whenever he said her name. She finally asked, "Are you two going out?" This shocked him, and he rushed to assure her that that was completely wrong and that she was seriously crazy for thinking so.

"Well, you seem to be talking more and more about her," she pointed out to him and he blushed slightly. She waited for him to admit that they actually were, but no such thing happened. He just looked around for something to distract her. She sighed, but mentally shrugged. It didn't matter to her if the two were going out. It was their business. Not hers.

So Heiji dragged her around her home town all day, not bringing Kazuha up again. And, to the surprise of Shinichi, she actually enjoyed her outing with Heiji. He was funny when he wasn't being annoying, and actually very gentleman-like. He did small things for her throughout the day without seeming to even know he was doing them. Shinichi liked that about him.

Heiji, who was planning on going to a nearby motel to stay at for the night, was invited to stay at the Kudo manor for as long as he liked. When Shinichi had told him this, he'd blushed a deep red, and had tried to decline, but Shinichi was firm. "It doesn't cost you anything to stay here, and it's completely fine with me, so you're staying." Heiji finally gave in, but chose a room as far from her's as possible, saying that he liked the room the best.

"Good night, Kudo," he called as he stepped into his room, firmly shutting the door behind him. Shinichi murmured her own 'good night' and made her way to her room. Once there, she collapsed tiredly on her bed, a single thought entering her mind. _Hattori's really weird. Nice, but weird. _And then she fell into a peaceful slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In the morning, Heiji woke first, taking a quick shower and starting on breakfast. He knew from his many visits to Shinichi, that she liked coffee first thing in the morning, and as black as black could be. Heiji personally thought it was yucky, but he wanted her to be wide awake this morning.

He hadn't simply come to Japan to visit with Shinichi, although he loved doing that too. He had a purpose behind this visit. Ever since they'd first met at a case, he'd known. He'd known with his whole heart that he loved Kudo Shinichi. So he became her friend, someone who she'd hang out with, someone who she liked. But he just couldn't stop at that, he _needed_ them to be more! He needed her to love him the way he loved her!

So he'd planned this visit out, knowing that she needed to know his feelings or they'd never get anywhere! Which was what he was going to do today. He was going to confess to her and hope with all of his heart that she liked him back.

"Hattori?" a tired voice called out softly, the girl that he'd just been thinking of entering the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. Heiji blushed and immediately poured a cup of the black coffee for her. She took it gratefully, and thanked him with a slight smile, making his heart pound in his chest. He winced, sure she could hear it, but she gave no sign, so he relaxed and grabbed the food he'd made for them and set it on the table where she sat.

"Hiya! I made ya some breakfast!" he told her, his voice too loud. He winced again, but tried to act casual. She nodded gratefully and started eating. Heiji watched her for a moment, feeling his emotions storm inside him, bursting for the need to confess his love already. And, the Detective of the West forever following his instincts, let them take over his mouth.

"I'm in love with ya!" he blurted, and barely stopped himself from covering his mouth. Shinichi looked at him in shock, her tired eyes clearing at his words.

"You…love _me_?" she asked slowly, as if not believing her ears. Heiji nodded, showing her all of his hope that she'd accept his feelings and feel the same way.

Shinichi saw the hope, alright. She also knew that she didn't love him. She loved him as a friend, but not like he loved her. Looking into his eyes, she saw the deep love he held for her, and felt a pang of sadness. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't want to mislead him. Then again, maybe if she was around him with thoughts of love, then maybe it would turn into love.

"I…I'm not sure if I love you," she told him honestly, and saw the look of disappointment on his face. She hurried to add, "Though I know that I like you. Let me think it over for a few days, okay?" she begged, and he nodded, a little bit of his hope returning. She didn't want to see him so dejected again.

"How about we go out on a date today?" she suggested, not actually wanting to, but she knew that it would cheer him up if they did. He brightened, and nodded, gulping his food down as fast as he could, and asking her where she wanted to go. She told him to choose, and he grinned mischievously. Shinichi wondered if it was worth it, going through this plan, when she saw that smirk. She honestly didn't think it was.

Later that night, Heiji and Shinichi were heading home from their date. It had been fun. They'd gone to the amusement park nearby, Tropical Land, and had had a blast, but Shinichi couldn't help but feel awkward around Heiji. As soon as she'd get comfortable around him, she'd remembered his words from that morning, and felt ashamed for lying. She knew that she would never love him, but she wanted to keep trying. Heiji didn't deserve the kind of pain he was certain to feel once she'd outright reject him.

Heiji went to his room, telling her goodbye, while adding a soft, 'I love you', making the guilt she felt hurt worse. She'd run to her room, feeling so unhappy that she'd hurt her friend, but not knowing how she could continue on this way for much longer. One day had been hard enough.

As she changed into her night clothes—a simple white, almost see-through night gown that barely went past her butt, and had thin spaghetti straps holding it to her nice form loosely—and lied down on her large bed without bothering to put the comforter on top of her. It was cold, but she liked it that way. It distracted her from most of her unpleasant thoughts.

A slight movement at her window made her eyes travel slowly over, and then she gasped as she saw what had caught her eye. A man, dressed in a white suit, including a white top-hat and a monocle over his right eye, was entering her room through the window. She sat up and was about to say something, when the stranger noticed her and ran to cover her mouth with his white gloved hands.

"Please don't yell out," he pleaded, revealing a young voice, and she heard the slight fear in it. "I don't mean you any harm, and I promise to leave as soon as I can. So _please_, stay quiet." She looked into his face, but it was covered in shadows. She finally nodded, knowing that if he made one wrong move that she'd kill him. Well, maybe just break a few bones.

He slowly, cautiously, took his hand away from her mouth and stepped away from her. She kept her mouth shut as he quickly glanced out the window, and she thought she saw flashing lights pass by quickly. The man—teenager?—sighed in relief and turned back to Shinichi.

"Thank you for not screaming. I really, _really_ appreciate it." He bowed deeply, before pushing open the window and starting to heave himself out gracefully. Shinichi decided that it was time she moved, and move quickly she did. Lunging forward, she latched onto his arm, yanking him back into the room.

"Who are you and why were you running from the police?" she demanded, her hold on the thief tight, but somehow, he slipped out of it as he straightened. He bowed again, apologetic this time, and gave her a charming smile.

"Gomen. I am the Phantom Thief, Kaitou Kid!" he said grandly, albeit quietly. She looked at him questioningly. Who was that? And why was he so proud to admit it? Why would a thief wear all white? And was that monocle supposed to protect his identity or something?

"Who?" she asked and his jaw dropped, shocked that she didn't know who he was. She just looked expectantly at him and he recovered.

"Kaitou Kid. The famous thief. Have you really not heard of me?" he demanded, exasperated. Shinichi snickered slightly as she shook her head.

"Sorry, no, but if you're really a thief, then why do you where white? Isn't that like a beaker when you steal stuff? And would a real criminal proudly state his name like that? It sounds to me like you're a fake." She watched as he seemed to tense up with anger, and was worried for a second about her own safety, but was surprised when he burst out laughing. He toned it down after a second, but it didn't make her any less alarmed.

"Sorry, but I've never been so bluntly accused of being a fake by someone who didn't actually know who Kaitou Kid was. It's almost refreshing," he informed her with a genuine smile, one that made her realize that the other smiles hadn't been. Or, at least, not _as_ genuine.

"Why? Because it's true?" she challenged, finding her lips curling into a smile of her own. Kid, or whoever he really was, shrugged carelessly.

"Ojou-san, I could argue with you all night, and yet, I don't think I could win. How about next time we meet, it's at one of my heists." He smirked again, handing her a small piece of paper, which she took curiously. "That way, I can prove to you that I'm the real deal." She tried to hold back the smile that came at the thought, but it was useless. This thief saw it all.

"Alright, Kaitou-kun, I'll accept your challenge. But be warned, I'm not an easy foe." He looked at her with a dubious smile, and she shrugged mysteriously, saying only, "The name's Kudo Shinichi. Look me up." She tried to tuck the piece of paper down her bra, but found that she didn't have one on. She always took it off at night.

She sighed resignedly as she put it on her dresser, and then noticed that the thief hadn't left yet. She looked closer and saw that he was blushing deeply, and wondered why. And then she realized. She was in her skimpy night dress without a bra on. How had she not remembered this before?

Kid cleared his throat and was about to say something, but had to clear his throat again. Shinichi quickly folded her arms over her breasts, hoping to cover them well enough, and glared. "Now is when you get out. I've received your challenge, and you'll see me at your next heist. Now _go_."

Kid nodded, but was still staring at her with what she guessed were big eyes. They were still shrouded in darkness. She sent him a glare that made him snap out of it and he sent an apologetic smile her way.

"I apologize for my unruly behavior, Ojou-san," he said, bowing. Shinichi rolled her eyes and told him to go away already. He just grinned and waved a haughty goodbye as he jumped out the window. She ran to the window, wondering if he'd landed safely. He was nowhere in sight, and Shinichi let out a big gust of air. She needed sleep. If she was supposed to pretend like she loved Hattori tomorrow, she'd need all of her strength.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Are ya payin' attention?" Heiji demanded for the fiftieth time that day. Distractedly, Shinichi glanced over at him and gave him a small smile of apology.

"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling too well today, Hatt—" the look of disapproval made her quickly correct herself. "Heiji. I think I should just go home." He nodded, looking bummed, so she told him to go on ahead without her. She didn't want him there anyways. She had some research to do.

Heiji reluctantly agreed and went on his way. Shinichi sighed in relief, feeling so glad that she could just go home and not have to deal with his puppy-dog eyes that made her feel so guilty that she would _kiss_ him if he asked!

Once Shinichi got back home, she immediately went to her laptop. Bringing up Google, she typed in the words _Phantom Thief Kaitou Kid_ and waited impatiently for something to come up. Suddenly, a number caught her eye as links pop up. _About 47,000,000,001 results (0.32 seconds)._ She felt her eyebrow itch upward as she clicked on the first link.

Shinichi soon became more and more interested in this thief, as she read more and more about him. Every link she went to said that Kaitou Kid never harmed anyone on his heists, used ingenious magic tricks to get past Nakamori and his special force—a special force for a thief?—and he always, _always_ returned what he stole. But there was something wrong about this. On several links, they state that the phantom thief returns after eight years, but from the sound of him last night, he was no older than herself. A child thieving and not being caught? It just wasn't possible. So was he really an imposter?

Shinichi belatedly remembered the note the thief had given her and she went in search for it. It was still on her dresser, waiting to be read. She opened it and saw with some confusion, numbers. Lots of them. Another minute of staring at them, and she realized that it was a code.

20-9-8-18 8-18 26 18-15-6-2-8-26-12 13-16-20-8-2-6 11-22-18-20 5-16-19 24-16-22 18-8-13-2-6 24-16-22-19-6 13-6-23. 8 23-8-12-12 3-6 20-26-10-8-13-7 20-9-6 14-16-16-13 16-5 20-9-6 18-22-1-22-10-8-18 16-13 20-9-6 5-16-22-19-20-9 16-5 20-9-6 5-8-5-20-9. 8

2-26-13-20 23-26-8-20 5-16-19 24-16-22-19 26-19-19-8-21-26-12

10-26-8-20-16-22 10-8-4

Shinichi grabbed a sheet of paper and furiously wrote and scratched out different ways to read the numbers. Finally, after almost an hour of trying, the code was broken, and a smile crept onto the girl's face.

"Alright, Kid," she murmured to herself as she tucked the note into the bottom drawer of her dresser for safe-keeping. "I'll have to call up Sonoko. She'll want to know that a thief is aiming for her moonstone on May Fourth. It'll sure be fun to see her face." Her smile widened as she stood, but a feeling of confusion came into her mind.

"May Fourth? Why is that date so familiar? Um…" She scratched her head for a minute before shrugging. "Ah, well, Hattori'll probably know." Her mind at ease, she started to clean up her room. After all, if there was even a small chance of her night visitor returning, she wanted him to see how neat she was. No girl wanted to be messy in front of any guy. Even a thief.

* * *

Hey! So this is the third chapter! Sorry that its shorter than the others! Anyone know why May Fourth is so familiar to Shinichi? Anyways i put a code in there, and i want to see if anyone can figure it out! It's a little weird, but i'm not sure how hard it is for you! Please review and tell me what you think it is! i'll post at the end of the next chapter what the code was, so no biggie if you can't! Thanks for always reading!

Oh, and BTW, i do NOT own any of the DC/MK characters, in case none of you realized.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The fourth of May came slowly for Kaitou Kid. He constantly thought of that girl, Kudo Shinichi, and desperately wished to meet her again. But he'd promised himself that fateful night that he would wait. He would stay away from her until she willingly came to see him. _If_ she came to see him. He _was_ a thief, after all, and he'd broken into her room like some pervert, although he'd had perfectly _clean_ reasons for being there, if not exactly lawful. Nakamori had actually caught up to him for once, and would've caught him if the clever thief hadn't noticed the dark room in the large mansion. He hadn't expected it to have an occupant, much less a girl in a long _tank-top_. Not to mention see-through white.

Kid blushed as he remembered the way the girl had tried to put his note in her nonexistent bra, which had drawn his attention towards her—_no! Don't think about her anymore. You're not a pervert, but if you keep bringing that night up, you _will_ be!_

But tonight was the night. Tonight, he was going to steal the rich Suzuki girl's precious moonstone at 9 o'clock exactly. _Wait_, he thought suddenly. _Oh no! I forgot to write down the time on Shinichi's notice! I told her the day, and where, and even what it was, but I forgot the time! I hope she gets the time from Nakamori._

Kid calmed his self down, realizing that she would be okay. She would get the time from the police, and she'd be there. She would be there, or he'd go and break into her room again to demand why! He'd looked her up, found that she was a famous detective, and knew that she would never turn down a challenge like this. At least, he really, _really_ hoped she wouldn't.

Kid calmed down again, realizing that he had to prepare now for his heist. After all, if he might have the chance of a guest of honor coming, he wanted it to be the best heist yet. Because if he wanted to impress her, he'd have to do more than the simple parlor tricks he usually did for Nakamori and his team. He'd have to go all out for his Shinichi.

* * *

so this one's really really short, and i apologize, but i really wanted to do a chapter on Kaito's point of view! After all, it wouldn't be any fun if i didn't! So i know i didn't give like ANY time for you to solve the code, but here it is anyways.

'This is a special notice just for you since you're new. I will be taking the moon of the suzuki's on the fourth of the fifth. I can't wait for your arrival. Kaitou Kid.'

i'm going to give you another chance to actually figure out what the code is, so at the end of the next chapter, i'll give you the whole alphabet-yes, english-with what # goes with what letter! Thanks a bunch and please review even if you didn't figure out the code!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Why do ya wan' ta be at this stupid heist anyways?" Heiji demanded, his large hand grasped firmly around the love of his life's arm possessively. He was tired of hearing about this heist already. For the last two days, Shinichi had done nothing _but_ talk about it. And on her very own birthday, too! Heiji was pissed at Kaitou Kid for sending his girlfriend a notice! It was like he was mocking the Detective of the West by having his stupid theft on Shinichi's birthday, and not even giving her the time, so she was at the Suzuki's house _all day long_ waiting for him to come, even after Nakamori had informed her it would happen at nine tonight. Heiji had come along as well, not wanting to leave her alone with the thief. But of course, Shinichi fought him the whole way.

"Because!" she said tiredly. "I'm tired of being surrounded by _murders_ daily! From what I've heard about Kid is that he _never_ let's someone get hurt on his heist! Do you know how relaxing that is?" she demanded and Heiji instantly felt guilty. It was true. Kaitou Kid never let any harm befall on anyone during his heist, meaning murder was out of the question. But they could just as easily stay at the Kudo mansion and have a party! No murders, no thieves! Perfect!

Heiji opened his mouth to argue his point, when a hand was placed firmly on his shoulder. Heiji flipped his head around, prepared for anything, but relaxed slightly once he saw that it was just a teenage guy his age.

"What do ya want?" he growled, his patience gone. The teen just smiled politely, not taking his hand off of Heiji, and looked over at Shinichi. Heiji looked between them and felt his mouth drop slightly. This guy looked almost exactly like Shinichi, just with shorter, messier hair! And his eyes were a bit more violet than his girlfriend.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked, concerned. Shinichi nodded, her mouth turning into a slight smile that made Heiji jealous. How come she never showed _him_ that smile that seemed to welcome anything the stranger said? Did she know this kid from somewhere?

"Yeah, I'm okay," she told him, her smile widening, making Heiji start to panic. She should be looking at _him_ that way! Not some stranger!

The teen didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? He's hurting you!" And Heiji saw that this boy was right. Instantly, he released Shinichi, horror-struck. How could he do that to her? How could he hurt her?

Shinichi smiled gratefully to the boy and said, "It's nothing. Are you here for the heist?" she asked and a bright smile lit the stranger's face. He nodded and started discussing everything he loved about his hero, Kaitou Kid. Heiji was bored instantly, but Shinichi looked interested. She smiled, and listened intently, and then laughed with him. Heiji felt the distance between them growing, despite still being so close to her.

Finally, the guy introduced himself, apologizing greatly for not doing so beforehand, and bowed gallantly, saying, "My name is Kuroba Kaito! I'm a huge fan of Kaitou Kid, which you may have guessed, and I'm eighteen. You are?"

Shinichi blushed slightly, something Heiji had never seen happen before, and said, "I'm Shinichi. Kudo Shinichi. This is my…" she trailed off, looking uncertain on what she should introduce Heiji as. It hurt his heart, but he didn't let it show as he introduced himself.

"Her boyfriend, Hattori Heiji. Nice to meet you," he said stiffly, bowing slightly. Kaito looked slightly shocked to hear that Heiji was her boyfriend, making Heiji grin in satisfaction, but then felt it weaken slightly as he saw the look of sadness in Shinichi's eyes. No! It was just his imagination! Shinichi loved him, he was sure she did! She _had_ to! He couldn't live without her!

"Look at the time," Shinichi said, glancing at her watch. Heiji glanced at his and saw that it was eight-fifty. Instantly, Shinichi was headed towards Nakamori, listening closely to what he was bellowing. In the corner of his eye, Heiji saw that Kaito was rolling his eyes. Heiji turned to face Kaito, folding his arms across his chest seriously.

"Stay away from Shinichi," he warned, his eyes cold. Kaito just looked at him impassively and shrugged.

"It doesn't seem to me that you have much control over your 'girlfriend'." Heiji could practically _hear_ the quotation marks in Kaito's voice. "I really don't think you have much of a choice in whether I stay away from Shinichi or not." Heiji felt his anger build, and he was about to punch the suddenly serious guy, but stopped himself. Kaito's eyebrow rose questioningly, silently asking Heiji why he stopped.

"Shinichi would hate me if I hit you," he muttered, walking over to stand beside Shinichi. This wasn't over yet, and Heiji knew it. Something about the look in the other boy's eyes had told him that he would fight tooth and nail for the girl. The only thing that got to Heiji, was that the two had just met, right? So how was Kaito so in love with Shinichi that he would fight for her so strongly? But then again, Heiji had fallen for Shinichi the first time they'd met too.

Maybe they weren't too different.

...

Shinichi was running up stairs, running faster and faster as she saw a glimpse of white disappear around another corner. Kid wasn't getting away from her that easily. Not like he'd gotten away from Nakamori and his team. Really, if they were so special, why did they suck so badly?

Finally, she reached a door. She flung it open to reveal the roof of the mansion. It was dark and quiet, with no security. Sonoko had thought that just inside would be enough to catch the thief, but alas, there he was, watching her with a confident smirk.

She was seeing him so clearly now, not like the blur of white on the stairs, and she realized that this really was the thief from two weeks ago. She felt a giggle escape her mouth, which started a full-on laugh. Kid laughed with her, probably because she looked ridiculous just randomly laughing, and stopped when she did.

"Sorry," she said, gasping for air. "I didn't mean to laugh, I just think it's funny that you really _are_ a thief. No thief I know wears white suits and capes and hats to steal jewels, and then give them back soon after. You're just as ridiculous as I thought two weeks ago!" A hurt look came onto his face and she felt guilty for saying it so meanly.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," she hurried to explain. "I just thought it was funny the way you snuck into my room!" He smiled hugely as he took a step towards the ledge of the building.

"Its alright," he told me with a sweeping bow. "I was incredibly rude that night. I've wanted to apologize, but I had to wait until tonight. Forgive me?" he asked, and she smiled.

"Sure. It's not every day that a thief is apologizing to me. Especially not one that's as famous as you." His smile widened as he stepped onto the ledge. I gasped, and ran forward to pull him back, but he jumped off before I could.

"Thank you for coming to see me again. I was really happy when I saw you," he murmured as he activated his glider. Shinichi gasped in amazement, then grinned.

"I wanted to see you again too!" she yelled to him before turning back to the door downstairs. Whistling happily, she went down the stairs with a hop in her step. She'd met her mysterious thief again, and he'd even told her that he'd wanted to see her again! She felt like she could die happy now!

"Shinichi!" Heiji yelled as he saw her enter. He was covered with pink goo and underneath, his clothes had been changed to a mini-skirt with a pink frilly blouse on top. His hair was dyed pink, and something made her think that it wouldn't come out easily.

"Are ya okay?" he demanded, and she felt guilty. She'd been flirting with the thief and Heiji had been worrying for her.

"Yeah," she said, giving him a forced smile. "I'm fine. Kaitou Kid got away, though," she admitted, pretending to be ashamed. She didn't particularly want this interesting new person in her life to be behind bars. He was obviously a good person.

"Good. I was really worried for ya," he told her. "I love ya so much, Shinichi." The goo on his body wasn't sticking to anything else, so he chanced a hug. Shinichi let him, feeling uncomfortable under his touch. It just felt so _wrong._ Like the detective in front of her wasn't the one she wished to be in the arms of. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted a white-clad thief to be holding her.

* * *

Hi again! So this time, i gave a little section just to Heiji cuz i wanted to see how he would think when he first meets Kaito! Fun wasn't it? Anyways, here's the code cheat-sheet!

A=26 B=3 C=2 D=4 E=6 F=5 G=7 H=9 I=8 J=11 K=10 L=12 M=14 N=13 0=16 P=15 Q=17 R=19 S=18 T=20 U=22 V=21 W=23 X=25 Y=24 Z=1

so this is it! if you like it, feel free to use it! I hope it was somewhat hard to figure out!


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sooo sorry for not updating recently! i kinda lost interest in it and so i'm trying to make it up to any of you who actually waited! if you're one of those people, i'm really really sorry! But here's chapter six! Yay! i hope you enjoy!

P.S. i realized that i haven't really made a disclaimer for this story, so here it is:

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING FROM DETECTIVE CONAN/CASE CLOSED! (big grin) don't you feel better now?

* * *

Chapter 6

The days passed and Heiji finally went back to Osaka. Shinichi was definitely relieved. She was exhausted from trying to love Heiji the way he so obviously loved her. It made her depressed, because she knew that it was hurting him. He was her best friend, but now, she felt like she'd lost even that with his confession. A confession that had come out of nowhere, and was entirely _too fast!_ How was she supposed to respond to that? He'd only been there for _two days_ and he was already telling her that he loved her!

Shinichi sat on her study's couch, remembering that first day that Heiji had been there, taking her Sherlock Holmes book away. She'd been annoyed, and yet once their day had gotten started, she'd been having fun. Such a bright contrast to the next day, when all she'd been thinking was, '_I should love him, but I don't. Why don't I love him? Ugh! I wish I could disappear!_' And yet, she didn't want to hurt her friend that way. She didn't want to hurt _anyone_ that way. She'd always heard of heartbreak before, but never had she been the cause of it!

The phone rang and she jumped, opening her blue eyes slowly. She couldn't even remember closing them. Slowly, she reached for her cell and pressed the green button. "Yeah?" she said into it, hoping with all of her heart that it wasn't Heiji.

"Hey, Shinichi! I was just calling cuz' I'm at Osaka now!" a happy voice said.

…Karma sucks.

"…Heiji," she said half-heartedly. Heiji didn't seem to notice how unhappy she was, and went on to tell her about his crappy plane ride, and how Kazuha had tackled him when he got back, but he'd convinced her that he was in love with Shinichi, and that made the Osakan girl cry, and run off.

Another thing to add to her guilt, she thought gloomily. She decided that she just needed some quiet, and told Heiji that she'd call him back later. Hanging up before he could express his disappointment, she threw the phone against the wall and flopped onto the couch. Covering her eyes, she groaned and thought about everything she'd ever done to deserve this.

The rest of the day was spent in pretty much the same way, just lying there on that couch, thinking. She didn't even bother getting up for food, although she had to use the bathroom a couple of times. Finally, the sky outside was dark, telling the girl that she needed to go to bed. Forcing herself to rise, she made her way to her room and quickly changed into her nightgown, the same one that she'd worn when she'd first met the thief.

She smiled slightly as she thought back to that night. Just the irony of the situation made her laugh. She was a detective, he a thief. The two just didn't mix unless one was dragging the other off to a prison and never seeing each other again. And yet, twice they'd met, and she hadn't dragged him anywhere. Instead, _he'd_ dragged _her_ into his pace, practically mocking her!

Suddenly, she heard the sound of her window being slid open. She immediately reacted, looking at the window and standing on the opposite side of the bed from the window. She relaxed slightly when she saw who it was. She rolled her eyes as she put her hands down from the defensive position they'd naturally risen to.

Kaitou Kid looked amused as she coolly brushed him off, and said, "Ah, how lovely to see you again, Ojou-san." He bowed gallantly, but she'd frozen at the word 'see' and remembered her dress. She instantly brought her hands up to cover her breasts as best as she could, but the dress was flimsy and the thief was now smirking.

"I'll gladly turn to let you dress in less-_revealing_ clothes, if you wish," he said and she glared but stubbornly shook her head.

"No! You will leave, and I will sleep, and I won't _have_ to change! So go!" she said, a burst of sudden emotion sparking inside her that made her nervous, but his smirk widened. He bowed again, but his words clashed with his gentlemanly act.

"Nope! I'm here to speak with you, and I'm not going to be thwarted by your harsh words. Now, please, sit down, make yourself comfortable," he said, gesturing around my room as if he owned it. I glared, but sat back down on my bed. He grinned and sat in the desk chair on the other side of the room.

"Now that we're comfortable, I just wanted to know, how old are you?" She was taken aback. Didn't this stupid, idiotic teenage (she was guessing from the sound of his voice and his actions) boy know that asking a girl's age was a _huge_ no-no?

"Uh, eighteen. I just graduated," she'd answered out of reflex, and now, she felt horrified. She'd just willingly given the stupid thief info about her. Stupid! The thief seemed to notice how pissed she was from the scowl on her face, but wisely doesn't say anything. "How old are _you_, stupid thief?" she asked, forcing herself to calm down.

His eyebrow rose, and she saw a hint of a smile on his lips as he deflected the question, "I've read many articles about the murders you solve. Don't you get nightmares from seeing the corpses?" he asked and she could've sworn there was bitterness in his voice.

She sighed and dropped onto her belly, her head in her hands and he legs crossed in the air behind her as she studied the thief. "Not really. I'm used to them." His eyebrow rose even higher and she wondered what he'd say to that.

"How could _anyone_ get used to seeing a dead person?" he demanded and she wondered if this hate, this loathing was the first real emotion he'd shown to her in their three meetings. Calmly, she shrugged. She knew that her being this composed would piss off the thief, which was exactly what she wanted.

"I've been around them since birth. My dad's a mystery write, former detective (A/N he _was_ a detective, right? I'm not too sure…) and thought it was a learning experience for me to go on his cases. I've seen more corpses in one month than you've seen in your whole life." She wondered if that was true, what with him being a thief and all, but the expression on his face told her she was right.

"That's _terrible_!" he spat vehemently. Shinichi looked at him in mild surprise. She had no idea he hated her father's parenting so much. Or was it just that he didn't like detectives?

"What's terrible?" she asked and he sent her a glare, one that made her slightly frightened. _I definitely do _not_ want to mess with him_, she thought idly as she waited for his reply. He seemed to be getting his temper under control before telling her through gritted teeth.

"No one should be so-so _surrounded_ by death! It's wrong!" She gave him a look that plainly said he was weird and flipped onto her back. She waited silently until he calmed down before asking why he was really there. He smirked, but she could see the scowl under his Fake Face as she liked to put it. "Is your _boyfriend_ still here?" he asked, his voice strained. From what, Shinichi didn't know, and she didn't particularly like the feeling she was getting from him. It was all dark, just like everything else that had been his true feelings. _Wow, what a downer this guy is,_ she thought with a roll of her eyes.

"Hattori went back home." She dropped her face down onto the bed, feeling her frustration come back. She still felt so guilty about Kazuha. She was a good friend to Shinichi, and she didn't like to think that she was the cause of the Osakan girl's pain.

"'Hattori'?" he asked with a wry grin. "Won't even call your own lover by his first name?" She didn't bother looking at him as she groaned.

"Leave me alone," she muttered. "I'm tired of guys coming into my life and doing whatever the _hell_ they want!" she yelled at the bed under her, letting all of her irritation out. After a minute of suffocating herself with her pillow, she relaxed her tensed shoulders and turned her head to the side. She felt a little better now.

A startled laugh made her jump and she looked up at the thief. He was laughing at her! She growled angrily at him, demanding to know what was wrong with him, but he just shook his head. "You're funny, you know!" he informed me with a snort. I was about to protest, when he continued, "Most girls I know don't date someone they obviously hate so much." Shinichi groaned and looked back at the dark bed cover.

"Shut up! I don't hate Hattori, I just don't love him the way he loves me! And I don't know how to handle him and his adorable puppy eyes!" She screamed into the bed, angry again. This time, there was no laughing reply. She slowly looked up at the thief, confused, and saw that he was frowning.

"You should tell him that you don't love him, then," he said seriously, and she sighed, rolling off the bed. She decided it was time for the phantom thief to go. "You don't mind if I go and make something to eat, right?" She said this, hoping he'd get the message and leave, but he just stood up with her and shook his head.

"Nope." And followed her down the stairs to the kitchen. She sighed but gave in. She trusted the thief enough to not do anything to her in her kitchen. "Now tell me why you won't simply tell Hattori that you don't love him? It's sounds simple enough to me," he said with a cocky grin. She scowled and told him to leave her alone.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said, grabbing the milk out of the fridge and gulping it down quickly. She slammed it down onto the counter and glared, knowing she was blowing up at the wrong person, but simply couldn't help herself. She just needed to let it all out. "I don't need some stranger like you to come into my life and tell me what to do! Now go away and don't come back! I hate you!" Yup. She'd lost it. All of the pressure from Hattori had built up and she'd let it out on this poor thief.

And then she didn't think so sympathetically of the thief because a second later he was kissing her.

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So? How'd you like? If you didn't, well, then i'm sorry, but it doesn't make much of a difference to me! if you want to review, do! just no burning! i like critisizm! it makes me think harder on ways to fix my writing, so if you have some, feel free to give it, just don't bring me down with mean comments that would hurt me please! Thanks for those who've encouraged me with good reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey so this is chapter 7 if you didn't notice...yeah...so i hope you like it! it's Kaito's point of view! i also wanted to apologize for my last chapter. i was kinda bored with it and rushed it and made it suck, but i hope you like this one even a little bit more!

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Chapter 7

He kissed her.

He _kissed_ her.

What possessed him and made him kiss her? She was rambling about her boyfriend, for heaven sakes! She didn't need him to do that! She already had enough problems without him barging into her life and _kissing_ her!

But then again, she'd responded pretty well, so it couldn't have been the wrong thing to do? Right? Kaito thought back to ten minutes ago, when he'd kissed her.

_/Flashback/_

_She was angry at him, saying something about it being none of his business, and hating him, and all of the things that are used to chase someone away from a person. And what did he do to make it stop? Well, it was simple really. He just made her lips too busy to scream at him. Kissing her was the easiest and most pleasing way, so he did. _

_Kaito stepped right up to her and kissed her beautiful pink lips, starting out as just a way to make her shut up, and then feeling inside him something awaken, and he kissed her with more ferocity than ever before. _

_For a moment, she didn't respond to the kiss, her mouth slightly open underneath his hungry lips, and then she closed her blue eyes and responded back with the same force as him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, knocking the hat off and clutching at his messy black hair. He responded by putting his arms loosely around her back, pulling her whole body closer to his. _

"_We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered over his lips, opening her eyes, but he pushed harder against her lips, pushing his tongue forward, seeking permission to enter her mouth. She hesitated for only a second before letting him in. He took the opportunity to the fullest, scouring every nook and cranny of her mouth, loving the taste of her. He pulled away, knowing they both needed to breathe, but immediately started attacking her neck. He was determined, now, to make her forget her stupid boyfriend, to be _his_, and he knew the perfect way. _

_He sucked the open area of her neck, biting and licking, trying for a very noticeable hickey. Here, she pushed him away. _

"_Okay," she sighed, pushing on his shoulders. "You need to leave now. I shouldn't have let you do this in the first place, but I'm just going to have to kick you out now." She sounded unhappy at this, although he wasn't sure if it was because she was kicking him out, or because he'd kissed her at all. _

"_Fine," he sighed, stepping away, and then grinned, "This gives you the easiest way of dumping that douche," he said with a mischievous grin. "Just tell him that you're interested in another man! Namely, _me_!" He snapped and with a poof of smoke disappeared, leaving the outraged girl in her kitchen. _

_/End Flashback/_

He sighed and realized how stupid he was for saying those things to her. She probably never wanted to see him again, but he was just so caught up in the moment, he couldn't help it! She was beautiful, and an amazing kisser, and she just tasted so good! And she just _had_ to be stubborn and not change out of the dress that he'd come to love so much, so it really should be her fault that he did all that.

Who was he kidding? It was totally his fault.

He sighed as he shifted the glider slightly and dipped down to his home. He'd have the rest of the night to punish himself for being so stupid and reckless. The rest of the night to know that he could be the reason why she breaks up with that stupid Hattori Heiji! Of course, that didn't really make him too sad. Hattori was a jerk, and didn't deserve Shinichi. It wasn't Kaito's fault that his temper got the better of him sometimes. Really!

Kaito's mom came in when she heard him open the window to his room and asked where he'd been in the Kid costume. He shrugged, and then realized that he'd accidentally left his hat on the floor of Shinichi's kitchen. Groaning, he quickly changed his clothes with a poof of smoke, and collapsed on his bed. Chikage watched with an amused smile. She rarely saw her son upset, but this was definitely one of those times.

"What happened, Kaito?" she asked softly, sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked over at her and grinned sheepishly.

"Um, I don't know how to tell you this right, but I just made out with a girl I've only met three times. And she's a detective. Yeah…" He was worried that she might get upset at him, because she'd always told him to respect girls—and that was definitely not gentlemanly behavior he'd shown to Shinichi—so he was definitely surprised when she started laughing.

"You sure know how to pick 'em!" his mom said between snorts. Kaito glared, folding his arms across his chest, and demanded to know what she meant. She visibly forced herself to stop laughing so that she could answer clearly. "First it was Aoko, an inspector's daughter, and now a detective? You _do_ realize that you're an internationally wanted thief, right?"

Kaito felt insulted. It wasn't like he was risking anything with Shinichi! He was just having some fun with his new critic. It wasn't his fault she was adorable when angry! Or that he was completely and utterly jealous of Hattori for beating him to her.

Chikage seemed to know what her son's silence meant, and smiled softly as she backed out of the room. She glanced at the portrait of her late husband and murmured, "I'm worried about him, Toichi. He's just a boy, and he's gotten so involved with thieving that he's missing out on life. I just hope that this detective, this girl, doesn't break his heart." She sighed quietly before moving on back downstairs. She had dinner ready for her boy, but she knew that he wouldn't make it downstairs to eat it. So she'd just have to give it to him herself. But she didn't mind. He was her boy after all, and she loved him so much. She just wished sometimes that he would forget about thieving and just be her little boy again. That was impossible though. Because Kaito was his father's son, and Toichi never gave up.

Never.

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So? was it better? i really hope so? If you have any complaints, just tell me, and i'll take it into consideration! i try to do what others advise, but sometimes i'm just not skilled enough to, but i like the criticism anyways! please review because it makes me really happy! i love reading the little notes that people send, so please keep doing so! Thanks a bunch! ^^


	8. Chapter 8

I hope you guys like this chapter. i'm not too good at writing Toichi's pov, so i might mess up in some places, but overall, i hope you like it!

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Chapter 8

Kuroba Toichi was dead. Yes, sad, but true. This, however, did not stop him from keeping a close eye on his trickster boy, and beautiful wife. He knew he had no hope of ever speaking with them again, not while they were alive, at least, but he enjoyed watching over his son. Kaito was a strong boy, a boy who knew when to act serious, when to play around. His boy was the spitting image of Toichi, if not on the outside yet, on the inside, they were exactly the same.

Toichi watched with amusement as his boy, his never-flustered-or-upset-by-anything son, was now smacking his head against his pillow. Laughing, Toichi thought back to just minutes before, when Kaito had kissed that girl, that detective that Toichi suspected was the daughter of his old rival, Kudo Yusaku. He thought it was hilarious how the whole thing happened. After all, his son had snuck into the poor girl's room while being chased by Nakamori-chan, and she'd surprisingly had not been that surprised. Yes, she was a little shocked to find him there, but not as much as a person would expect out of a teenage girl, even a famous detective.

And then, his foolish son had invited her to his heist, introducing himself to her as himself, and getting her talking about Kid. Also, adding that nice touch at the end to the girl's boyfriend, who Toichi personally disliked, if only because he was getting in the way of his son's romance, was pure genius. He'd shot down that amateur detective right where it hurt!

Kaito stood up from his pillow-head-banging, making Toichi lose track of his earlier thoughts to watch as the boy walked over to his closet. He grabbed some normal, non-Kid clothes and quickly threw them on, instantly heading for the window. Toichi wondered if the boy was going to head back to the girl, to reveal his true identity in a really dramatic way just perfect for Toichi's heir, but saw with dismay as Kaito headed in the opposite direction of Beika.

"What are you doing, kid?" he murmured as he followed the boy. His spirit form was just the same as his human one, only he never got tired, so he could run for hours and not even be breathless. He also had the ability to travel through objects, fly and to teleport, but he preferred doing things the Alive way.

He was getting bored, though, as he realized his son was just going to walk around like an idiot, so he decided to check in on the girl. He teleported to the large mansion the girl lived in alone, and saw that she was staring blankly at the kitchen counter in front of her, a mug of black coffee resting at her lips. Toichi chuckled, knowing that Yusaku-chan had liked the same type of coffee.

After a minute of unblinkingly staring, she shivered, looking around, her eyes passed over Toichi, but they swiveled back, and he wondered for a moment if she could see him, but shook his head vehemently. That should be impossible. After all, no one else had been able to sense him the way she seemed to be doing.

"…I'm going crazy," Shinichi murmured, and now he was positive she could sense him. He decided to try speaking, to see if she could hear him.

"Hello, Kudo-san! I'm Kuroba Toichi! I'm a ghost, and I was just wondering if you could hear me! So? Can you?" he rambled, watching her face as her eyes widened in disbelief. So. She could hear him. Interesting.

"Kuroba…Toichi?" she murmured and Toichi grinned.

"Yup! The one and only!" He laughed at the expression on her face, but sobered as he wondered aloud, "How can you hear me? No one's ever been able to do that before…" Shinichi looked at his blurry figure and sighed.

"No idea, Kuroba-san. I just know that if you're real, then I'm most definitely not crazy. Probably." She muttered a few things that Toichi strongly disagreed with being said aloud. After all, he had a son of his own and he didn't want him to say such things. Toichi sighed. He was so old fashioned and he knew it.

Shinichi wandered out of the kitchen and made her way to the familiar library that Toichi had snuck into many times before. Yusaku and him had been friends, close enough that Yusaku would sometimes invite him over for tea and a nice talk between the two men. Toichi missed those talks.

"So, if why are you here, Kuroba-san?" she asked as she grabbed a book off the small coffee table in front of the long couch. Toichi laughed and wondered what he should do. He didn't want to spoil his son's surprise, but he didn't want to lie to the girl. She seemed very trustworthy and cool-headed, exactly like her father.

"I…my son, that is," he started, stuttering, and wished his famous poker face would work against this girl. Now he felt pity for Kaito, for falling in love with such a difficult person. Or maybe he was lucky that he couldn't lie to her.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Kuroba-san. I don't mind," she assured him as she flipped open the book, belatedly remembering to flip the lamp on. Toichi watched with amusement. The girl was more shaken up than she let on.

"Thanks, Kudo-kun. I appreciate it," Toichi sighed, relieved. He'd been about to let the secret out to this strange girl that he'd only met minutes ago. He sat next to her on the couch, silently watching as she flipped page after page of the obviously familiar book. He looked closer and laughed out loud. It was a Sherlock Holmes book, of course. Shinichi looked up, startled. She'd completely forgotten about the ghost, having been pulled into the book the way she always was. She had always tried to avoid reading during class for that reason, because she'd go through a whole lecture not hearing a thing but the bell afterwards.

"What is it, Kuroba-san?" she asked and he laughed again. Finally, he stopped his laughing and shook his head.

"Nothing. I just find it rather amusing that you're reading a Sherlock Holmes book." She sent him a questioning look, but returned back to her book eventually. He took a closer look at the girl, taking in her bright blue eyes, almost the same shade as Kaito's, but bluer, and her long black hair the same shade as his son's. There were bags under her beautiful blue eyes, and he realized that she must be dead tired.

"Shouldn't you be in bed right now?" Toichi casually remarked, hoping to make her sleepy enough to go to bed. It didn't work. She didn't even take her eyes off of her book to answer.

"Yep."

He waited for her to explain why she wasn't, but got no such elaboration. "Then why aren't you?" he finally said, slightly exasperated. She looked up at him, and cocked her head to the side.

"Because I don't feel like sleeping. Why aren't you in Heaven or wherever it is that dead people go?" she asked, and Toichi smiled at her short temper. She'd shown it earlier, right before Kaito had kissed her.

"Because I'm here to watch over my son. I left him at a young age, and I wanted to stay to see him grow up." I saw the look of calm wonder and wished I knew what she was thinking.

"Is that what parents do? Watch their children grow up? Hmm," she hummed as she went back to her book. Her words made Toichi curious. What did she mean?

"Isn't that what your parents do?" he asked casually, and expecting an instant 'yes' but was surprised.

"No, not really. They moved to America a few years ago, and before that went on a lot of vacations. They only took me on a few trips, and every time they were home, Tou-san got called for a case. He always took me on those, but mainly because he wanted me to become a mystery writer, like he is now. Too bad for him that I became a real detective." She didn't look up once from her book as she told him all of this, so she missed the look of horror on his face.

"Yusaku? That's just wrong! How could he be so cruel to his only daughter?" Toichi growled, angry at his old friend. At this, Shinichi looked up.

"You know him?" she asked, not sounding all too curious, but it was there all the same. Toichi nodded, still angry.

"We used to be the best of friends. Now that I'm dead, he's become a jackass!" He realized that maybe he'd made her angry by his words, but when he looked over at her, she was just shrugging.

"Yeah, I guess. He's really famous now, so that might also have to do with it." She went back to her book and he wondered if Sherlock Holmes was really that interesting. He'd never been a fan of his, more into Arsene Lupin really. But who was he to judge.

Toichi decided that if he was going to accomplish something useful, that he'd better start asking questions. "So, Kudo-kun, do you love your boyfriend?" Okay, maybe he'd been a little too blunt on that.

She looked up at him, surprised, before her eyes narrowed and she looked back at the words. "I see that you've been stalking me for some time, Kuroba-kun." _Avoiding the question, are we?_ He mused, inwardly trying to come up with an excuse that wouldn't give Kaito away.

"Not really. Just recently. I was hoping to see Yusaku, but he wasn't here, so I decided to wait around for a few days to see if he'd show up. I just noticed that you're a little tense around that boy, Hattori-kun." _Good cover-up!_ He inwardly grinned, feeling proud of himself.

"Mm-hmm," she said, rolling her eyes. She obviously didn't believe him. _Dang…not as good of a cover-up as I thought. _

"Well?" he asked, deciding to go back to the original question. She sighed heavily but answered this time.

"No, not really. I'm not in love with him the way he is with me. You wouldn't have any connections to a certain thief that snuck into my house tonight and assaulted me, would you?" she asked casually, making my poker face crack from surprise. _Ooh, she's good_, he thought with a sheepish smile.

"My son. I'm just watching over him," he said, trying to make up for snooping into her personal life. She sighed and stood up, leaving the room, her small nightgown flowing around her.

"Please, leave, Kuroba-kun. I don't appreciate your efforts. Tell your son to stay away from me. I already have a boyfriend." Her voice held no emotion, making me feel angry.

"But you already said you don't love him! So why not tell him so and get it over with? I don't understand why you won't!" This made her freeze and turn slowly to look at him. Her eyes were flashing as she glared, making him nervous.

"You and your son both! Neither of you understand how I feel about all of this, and frankly, I don't think you two even care! All you can think about is yourselves and I'm getting sick of it! Tell your stupid son to leave me alone, and never come back here! Either of you!" She slammed the door after her and he heard her stomp her way upstairs to her room.

Toichi sighed, feeling guilty. She was right. He and Kaito were being selfish. But really, why couldn't she just tell this bastard Hattori to shove it and leave him? It couldn't be that hard, could it? She didn't love him, after all! So why would she stay with him? Ugh! Teenagers were so complicated! He decided he would just go back and watch his son. He was much less confusing.

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aah, i love dramatic girls, even if they do get annoying some times. but i think Shinichi has a certain right to being annoyed. after all, two, very persistent thieves are bugging her about breaking up with Heiji! i'd get pissed too.

also, i just wanted you all to know that no, i don't hate Heiji. I didn't mean to start bashing on him for this story, and i was planning on him being better competition for her, but it worked out anyways. but i didn't want anyone to think that i don't like Heiji, because i really do love him. Whenever i read and watch the anime/manga i always look forward to the parts with Heiji!

Please review! i love getting them and if you have any criticism, i will seriously try to work harder! Thanks for everything you've done for me this far guys!


	9. Chapter 9

Hey, i'm kinda really happy about this chapter, just cuz it was interesting to write! i hope you enjoy it! its from Kaito's pov and it involves Shinichi and all of her psychic glory! Have fun reading!

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Chapter 9

Kaito was beginning to feel restless. It had already been a week since he last saw his Shinichi—as he now thought of her—and he was having withdrawals. Aoko and Hakuba, his two friends, were worrying about his sudden mood swings. One minute he'd be normal, happy and pranking someone, and the next, he would be moping in his desk, ignoring everyone. Most of his class didn't mind his depressed moods, but Aoko was a dear friend, and worried for him, even if he pulled on his poker face and lied, saying he was okay.

That was the reason he was wandering around town right now. He'd run away from Aoko and her detective boyfriend, saying he was meeting up with another friend, but was actually just walking around.

It was on this walk that he saw the girl of his dreams. Shinichi was in a café across the street, eating with another girl, one with long, brown hair. She looked exactly like Aoko, and for a moment, Kaito thought she was his friend. The other girl had a soft smile on her face—something that Aoko rarely showed to Kaito—and had her hand on Shinichi's. Shinichi looked tired, and unhappy, and Kaito wondered if it was his fault.

He felt the sudden urge to go over and speak to her, so he did. After all, she already knew Kuroba Kaito. There couldn't be anything wrong with him going to say hi again.

He entered the café and went over to her table, making her jump slightly. He greeted her cheerfully, and said, "Hi, I'm Kuroba Kaito! We met at the last Kid heist!" Shinichi didn't smile the way he thought she would, and felt slightly worried.

"Kuroba-kun? Oh, yes, I remember now!" she said, and he felt a slight coolness under her tone. She gestured to the girl, distracting him by saying, "This is my best friend, Mouri Ran. She's here in Ekoda for a karate match. I'm here to cheer her on. Do you live here?"

Kaito nodded, interested that Ran did karate, and asked if he could sit down. Ran nodded, but Shinichi looked hesitant. Kaito worried for a moment that she might've found out his secret, but tried to ignore the panic as he sat next to her. Suddenly, he wished he could kiss her again. He'd missed her throughout the week, and now that she was right in front of him, he couldn't do anything because he wasn't Kaitou Kid right now, he was Kuroba Kaito.

The three chatted, and finally, the two girls had to leave. Kaito quickly asked if he could speak to Shinichi alone, which surprised Ran, but she agreed. She must've sensed something between the two, something that needed to be figured out already.

Kaito pulled her to a side alley, making sure that they were in sight of people passing by, but out of the way. Immediately, he became flustered. He didn't know what to say to her, what she knew. That quickly changed, with her next words, though.

"What do you want, _Kid_?" she asked tiredly, and Kaito's mouth dropped. How'd she know? "If you're wondering how I knew, I talked with your father. He told me that you were his son, and I figured it out soon after." Kaito was astonished already, but became even more so when he registered what she said.

"Did you just say _my father_?" he demanded, and she nodded, rolling her eyes.

"Bastard showed up in all his ghostly glory, and started telling me the exact same things you did before you _assaulted_ me!" Kaito felt the sting of her words, but his thoughts of his father outweighed the pain.

"Ghost? What? My father's a ghost? Are you sure?" He felt ridiculous asking, but he had to know. And how could she see a ghost? It wasn't possible, right?

"Yes. He visited me that same night that you came, and was just as annoying as you! Now leave me alone!" She was about to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and brought her back in front of him.

"Is my father here?" he whispered, and Shinichi nodded, looking over his shoulder. He glanced back, hoping to see the man he'd been avenging as the phantom thief, but saw nothing but a dark alley. "Can he hear me?" She nodded once again, and Kaito suddenly felt breathless.

Shinichi was looking at his face, and she felt slightly guilty for being so callous. After a moment of seeing the cocky thief try to say something, she told him softly, "I'll tell you what he says, alright." A look of relief came onto his face and he suddenly had all these questions.

"Why are you a ghost? Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Can Haha see you? Can you teach me how to walk through walls? Why can Shinichi see you?" Shinichi rolled her eyes, but Kaito could see that she was holding a smile back.

"To answer in order, he says, 'because I wanted to stay behind and watch you, yes I do think you chose the right, no she can't see me, and I don't think it's possible for a live person to walk through walls and I don't know why Kudo-kun can see me.'" Shinichi sighed at the questioning look on Kaito's face and answered the last question for herself. "I guess I've always been able to see them, but not as clearly as Kuroba-kun, and I've never heard them before. Not clearly, at least."

"Yes, but why? Why can you see ghosts?" Kaito pressed, truly wanting to know.

Shinichi sighed again, and shrugged. "Maybe because I've been around murdered people for my whole life. It probably made me sensitive to ghosts, since I've only sensed them during a case. Or maybe it's in my blood. Does it matter?" She looked ready to walk away from him again, and he really didn't want her to. He wanted to talk to her, to sort things out between them. To make her love him.

"Shinichi, I'm sorry about what I did last week," he blurted out, not wanting her to escape before he could make things better. "It was irrational, and I apologize. Please say you forgive me!" He bowed his head, and felt her piercing stare on his hair.

After a lengthy silence, she finally said, "I forgive you. And maybe I'll let you do it again. Maybe." With that, she turned and walked away. Kaito blushed, knowing that right now, his father was watching him, and suddenly, he felt much more embarrassed than he should've.

"Otou-san, don't even _think_ it," he said, not expecting an answer, but felt instead of heard, his father's deep, throaty laughter. It made him feel warmer inside.

"Well, now that my day just got brighter, how about I get some ice-cream?" he mused softly to himself. He whistled as he made his way to the ice-cream stand. "Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate ice-cream!" he sang happily, skipping as he handed out roses to every woman he passed. His favorite reaction was from the little three year-old whose face lit up and she hugged him. Her mother apologized, still blushing as she held the white rose he'd given her. He waved cheerfully as he left, feeling so much better than he had for a week.

After all, his Shinichi had given him a second chance, which Kaito would take full advantage of. He would get Shinichi to dump Baka Hattori and come to him if it was the last thing he did. _And_ he'd do it with style!

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Good? Okay? i hope so! Oh, and BTW, in the last chapters A/N at the end, i said that i don't hate Heiji (i do love him) but i didn't mention any of my feelings for Kudo Yusaku. Usually, i'm okay with the dude, but whenever i write about him, i instantly feel like making him a total bitch. maybe its cuz i hate my own dad, but i apologize to anyone who likes him and thinks i'm making him out to be too much of a bastard, cuz it'll probably get worse later on in the fanfic.

Please review! those who've reviewed me recently know that i usually reply back just because it makes me happy! Thanks for the hard-core criticism as always!


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, so sorry that this took so long to upload, but it's kinda long, so maybe it'll make up for it? anyways, i don't know if any of you noticed in my last chapter but i got the japanese honorifics incorrect(and if you're reading this now, you'll realize that they're not wrong anymore! i went back and fixed them! Yay!), and my great reviewer Mai-chan63 (read her fanfics, they're great ^.^) pointed this out to me. so in this chapter, things will be a little switched up. Toichi will now be referred to as Kuroba-san, Kaito will be Kuroba-kun, and Chikage will be Chikage. Shinichi will be easy to recognize, but i just wanted to warn you before hand, so when you read, you won't get mixed up! Thanks for all the support people, and enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 10

Heiji was nervous. He'd called Shinichi like he always did, and was shocked to hear her talking to another person. After a while of listening, he recognized the voice as Kuroba Kaito, the guy from the heist that had flirted with Shinichi since the moment they'd met.

Heiji had refrained from asking why Kuroba was at her house, feeling that he'd pried in her life enough already. He wanted her to be happy, although sometimes he wanted to be selfish and just take her for himself, locking her to him forever so that she'd never have another thought about another man. But Heiji wasn't that selfish. At least, not yet.

Sighing, Heiji decided that he'd visit her in a couple of days. He knew that he couldn't leave that day, or else Kazuha would have a mental and emotional breakdown. So he resignedly sat back and waited patiently for Kazuha to show up and prove her 'no, really, I'm happy for the two of you' again. It was torture for both of them, but Kazuha was too stubborn to stop.

Oh well.

…

Shinichi was laughing. That alone surprised her. She wasn't a frown-all-the-time kind of person, but she definitely didn't laugh a lot. And yet, here she was, laughing at something that Kaito had said. It was nice, really, to laugh and to actually mean it.

"So, do you like me enough to dump Baka—" Kaito's nickname for Hattori that Shinichi didn't approve of, "—or do I still got a ways to go?" Shinichi just rolled her eyes and stood, looking at some of the now familiar picture frames or their small family. They all looked so happy. As she was thinking of this, her stomach suddenly grumbled and she blushed slightly as Chikage, Kaito's wonderful mother, grinned and headed for her kitchen to get the teenager some food. Chikage proved to be a great cook, and absolutely adored Shinichi, along with the fact that she could communicate with her husband.

Toichi waved, grabbing her attention, and she listened as he said, "Tell Kaito that I see him in your near future, your _romantic_ future." His eyebrows wiggled, and she laughed. She knew that Toichi couldn't see the future, and just wanted to mess with his son. It seemed to be a trait passed on through genes.

"Kuroba-kun, Kuroba-san says that he sees you in my near, _romantic_ future." Kaito hooted excitedly and stood up, hugging his mother as she came in with refreshments.

"Hear that, Okaa-san?" he asked excitedly, twirling her around like a dancer, skillfully maneuvering the tray of tea and snacks so it sat on the couch, safe, and continued, "She loves me! She loves me!" Shinichi's eyebrow rose slightly, more of a twitch really, and forced her mouth to not smile.

"Does she now?" Chickage asked and I smirked at how dubious the woman sounded. The tone of her voice made Kaito's happiness die down slightly, and he sat back down.

"Alright, alright. So maybe she doesn't love me yet, but she will!" he vowed and Shinichi snorted. Chikage smiled at her enthusiastic son before pouring some tea in a cup for Shinichi.

"Here you are, dear," she said, and Shinichi felt warm at the endearment. Her parents usually never called her anything but annoying nicknames, making her hate anything but her full name, but when Chikage called her 'dear' or 'sweetheart' she felt happier.

"By the way, Shinichi," Kaito interrupted her thoughts, and then asked, "who called you? You didn't seem very happy to speak to them." Shinichi felt annoyed that he'd asked, but sighed heavily.

"Hattori. He called to say that he'd visit in a few days. I think he recognized you, but I'm not sure, since he didn't say anything. Who knows with him?" She wished the look of anger would leave Kaito's face, but knew it was impossible. Hattori and Kaito just weren't meant to mix. Ever.

Kaito stood and paced in front of the couch he'd been sitting on and Shinichi watched with slight amusement as Toichi mirrored his son but was standing behind the couch, holding his chin the same way Kaito was.

"Calm down, Kuroba-kun, it's okay," she tried to get him to sit back down, but he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"What did I tell you about calling me 'Kuroba-kun'? I don't like it! We're close enough that you can call me Kaito and I'll call you Shinichi! We agreed!" he insisted, making her eyebrow twitch again.

"Oh, we did, did we?" she asked coolly, and Kaito realized he might've stretched the truth a bit (just a bit, really!) and immediately pulled out a white rose, asking for her forgiveness.

"I just wish you'd call me by my name," he sighed, lying down on the couch, his head on his mother's lap, his long legs hanging off the opposite edge. Shinichi rolled her eyes and glanced at Toichi as a distraction from the lo—_like_, _(don't get too far ahead of yourself, girl)_ in Kaito's voice.

Toichi noticed her look and grinned. He knew that she didn't want to love Kaito, but seemed to be leaning towards it more and more as they spent more time together. He knew that, and he cheered them on, saying that he would back his son up on whatever—or _who_ever—the boy chose.

Aah, a reminder of one of the many things that confused Shinichi about this man. He loved his son so much, more than Shinichi had thought possible. After all, from her experience with parents, children were just a necessity, not as important as traveling the world, or doing what they liked. So this determination from Toichi confused her like no puzzle or case ever had before.

Toichi interrupted her thoughts, saying, "Don't think you can run away from a Kuroba, Shinichi-chan! We're the most stubborn people you'll ever meet!" he informed her cheerfully. She scowled at him, crossing her arms across her chest and turning her head away from him childishly.

"Then you don't know me very well, Kuroba-san!" she said stubbornly. Kaito and Chikage watched with interest as she had a conversation with their dead father and husband. "I'm more stubborn than you'd think!" Toichi just laughed and moved to sit underneath Kaito's legs on the couch, simply falling through the boy like he wasn't even there, and laughed again at her sick expression. Every time he did that, she felt like she was going to hurl, but she got it under control. Eventually.

"You okay, Shin-chan?" Shinichi nodded, and then scowled at Kaito. Of course he would shorten her name even more, and to something ridiculous, too.

"Yeah, I'm just thoroughly disgusted by ghosts," was all she would say about it, and decided to tell Kaito that she needed to go home. She had some things there that she wanted to finish. Namely, a new mystery book that she'd bought from the bookstore down the street from her house. "I've gotta go, Kuroba-kun, Chikage. I'll see you later." Kaito pouted, folding his arms across his chest like a child while Chikage quickly stood.

"Wait, Shinichi!" she called, and Shinichi looked back at her as she slipped her shoes back on. She came back with a large basket, telling Shinichi, "This is enough food to last you the day, right?" The look she gave the mother told her exactly how long this would last, which was probably forever. Shinichi had never held so much food at one time before. It seemed wrong, but she didn't refuse. She knew that Chikage was worried about her.

"Thank you, I'll be leaving now." She waved as she opened the door, but took a step back when she noticed the person on the other side. There stood her own parents. In the flesh. Not in America.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san? What are you doing here?" she asked slowly, looking back at Kaito and Chikage. Kaito was standing now, looking like it hadn't ruffled him that her parents had suddenly shown up, but she could see underneath the mask that told her how pissed he was at the sight of the couple. Chikage simply smiled at them and invited them in.

"Shinichi?" Yukiko asked, shocked. Sighing slightly, Shinichi didn't say anything as she tried to move past them, unsuccessfully. "Why are you here? How do you know Toichi-sensei's family?"

_Toichi-sensei?_ Shinichi thought idly, but shrugged. "I met Kuroba-kun at a Kid heist a while back. We became friends." Yusaku looked interested at her words, and was about to ask something when Kaito came in and smiled hugely. Shinichi knew that it was fake.

"So you're my beautiful Shin-chan's parents!" he exclaimed and Yukiko giggled like a little girl as she sent her daughter a sneaky look. Shinichi just sighed and wished she could kick Kaito. It would make her feel a lot better.

"You're dating?" Yusaku asked, looking me in the eye, but was stating the question to Kaito. Kaito nodded happily, ready to have her parents believe that they were, but Shinichi wouldn't let it go.

"No, we're not. I already have a boyfriend. Kaito just can't seem to accept that." Kaito pouted, but Shinichi could see that he was truly sad underneath his so-called 'poker face' that he'd told her about (him or Toichi, she couldn't remember who told her) and felt a little guilty. She knew it hurt him when she talked about Heiji, but she was loyal, and she wouldn't try to hurt Heiji in any way. Not on purpose at least.

Yukiko immediately perked up. "What? You have a boyfriend, Shin-chan? Since when? Who is it? Is he cute?" She rambled of question after question as Shinichi sat there, uninterested. Finally, she stopped and waited for answers.

"I'm dating Hattori Heiji, that one detective from Osaka. We've been dating for a little while now. Goodbye." She felt the need to get away from them as fast as possible, but the look of an excited-child on Yukiko's face, and the interest on Yusaku's made her cringe. There was no way she'd be able to leave yet.

"Come in already," Chikage said, grabbing her arm gently, and leading Shinichi to sit next to Kaito on his couch while taking the basket back and putting it on the coffee table between the two couches. Kaito tried to put a comforting hand on her knee, but she dodged it by crossing her legs, her tight black jeans making it slightly hard. _Knew I shouldn't have worn these. I can't do _anything_ in skinny jeans! Why did I even buy them in the first place?_ She conveniently forgot in that moment that she'd bought them with the boy next to her in mind, and sat, trying to hold in her scowl.

Yusaku and Yukiko sat on the couch where she'd been before, and she felt slightly creeped out from the way her father kept staring at her. She shook it off as she let her eyes wander around the room, searching for a distraction.

Chikage asked the couple why they were here, and Yukiko gladly answered. "We knew that the anniversary of Toichi-sensei's death is coming soon, and wanted to visit and give our condolences to his son and wife. And because I haven't seen you or your cute son in so long!" Shinichi watched Kaito silently as he flinched under his mask at the mention of Toichi's death.

Speaking of Toichi…where was he? He wasn't anywhere to be seen, not since her parents showed up. Shinichi looked around and noticed that Toichi was outside, glaring through the window at her father. She tried to casually catch his attention, and when he looked at her, she lifted her brow in a question. He growled angrily and stepped through the wall to stand next to her. She didn't look at him, but at the window, waiting for his answer.

"After seeing how uncomfortable you are with your own parents, it's made me very, _very_ _pissed off! _It's obvious he's been neglecting you, and my own student is so focused on her own life that she barely notices you! I don't understand such people and they're not my friends any longer! Tell them that I don't want to see their faces ever again!" Shinichi sighed heavily and leaned slightly over to Kaito.

"How long does your dad hold grudges?" she asked and Kaito looked surprised. He quickly guessed that the question pertained to his father's ghost, and shrugged.

"Not very long unless it's something he cares deeply about. What's the grudge?" Shinichi didn't particularly want to tell him, but knew she should.

"Let's talk in the kitchen," she suggested and turned to her parents. "Kuroba-kun and I need to speak in the kitchen, if you'll excuse us." She stood without an answer, gesturing to Chikage to stay and keep them distracted. She nodded, not sure what they were planning, but knew it was important. She told the Kudos to ignore them and continued on with their previous conversation.

Kaito pulled her to the far end of the kitchen, where her parents were still in sight, but out of ear-shot. "What's this all about?" he asked, serious for once.

Shinichi sent a dark look to Toichi, who'd followed them into the kitchen and was standing beside his son defiantly. Really, sometimes, he reminded the detective of a child. "Your father is angry at my parents, because he thinks they're neglectful parents, and wants me to kick them out of your house. Tell your dad to stop being _ridiculous_," she sent a glare to the older Kuroba, who pouted, folding his arms across his chest and turning his face away insolently, and she continued, "and to let it go already. It_ doesn't matter_." She directed the last sentence to Toichi, but realized she'd picked the wrong Kuroba to deal with the problem. She should've asked Chikage, the one who didn't have a crush on her.

Kaito looked angry, not even bothering to hide it behind his poker face, and asked, "Well, _are _they neglectful? Because if they are, I'm going to kick them out and tell them to never come back, _and_ to make it up to you!" he told her, folding his arms across his chest the same exact way his father did.

Shinichi ran her hands through her long black hair and sighed heavily. "I can handle my own problems. But Kuroba-san, do you really want to end your friendship just because of me?" she asked, feeling sad. "Don't judge them too harshly. I prefer my life the way it is, so don't ruin your relationships with them when it might be too late to change later on. And if you still can't forgive them, then act like you do, because I don't want this to end on a bad note. Got it?" After a full minute of considering this, both Kurobas' nodded and they all headed back to the front room.

"Sorry about that," Shinichi said, smiling. "Kuroba-kun and I had something to discuss." Yukiko nodded, happily accepting this, but Yusaku looked calculating, thinking hard about something.

"Honey, I think it's time to leave. After all, we do want to have time to unpack, don't we?" Yusaku asked, and Shinichi felt suspicious. Unpack what?

Yukiko squealed excitedly, and told the other three, "Oh, yes! We've decided to move back to Japan, and all of our stuff is here! We figured we'd say hello before officially settling back in our home. We really do feel like we've been leaving dear Shinichi by herself for too long!" Kaito looked surprised, as did everyone else, but Shinichi was the only one who didn't show it. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face, telling them how excited she was.

The couple left first, telling Shinichi that they wanted to start packing immediately, and Shinichi wanted to stay as far away from them as possible for as long as she could. When they'd driven away, she finally let out her anger.

"Suck! Ugh, I hate those stupid people!" she growled under her breath as she banged her head against one of the walls in the kitchen. Chikage looked amused, but Toichi and Kaito looked confused.

"Why are you so upset? Isn't this what you wanted?" Kaito asked and Shinichi sent him a dark look that made him immediately step away with his hands in the air.

"Why in _hell_ would I want them back? They bother me all the time, they're obnoxious, and I'll never have another quiet moment in my life! Now, not only do I have to deal with Hattori, but them too! Ugh!" She felt like she was going to puke, so she decided it was time to leave.

"Alright, well, I'm going now. Keep your food, I'll be fine. I'm just going to go for a very, very, _very_ long walk and hope that by the time I finally reach home, my parents will remember how much they hate that house and already be gone back to America." She headed for the door and quickly shoved her shoes on, missing the silent conversation between Kaito and his mother. Kaito finally nodded and ran up the stairs to get dressed for being outside.

Shinichi ran down the street, not stopping until she'd felt every muscle in her legs were exhausted. When that happened, she kept walking, letting her frustrations out with each step. Little did she know that a certain boy was following her closely, watching her for any sign of needing help. He was, after all, a gentleman thief.

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Please review, and tell me about anything you thought while reading! sorry if Toichi seemed a bit out of character, as well as Kaito, because i don't think i made him as playful as usual! tell me what you think! Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

Here's chapter 11! Enjoy!

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Chapter 11

Shinichi was showing up at the Kuroba home more and more often as her parents returned, and Kaito sure wasn't complaining. Every time he saw Shinichi, he felt a burst of happiness, and that alone would carry him through the day. He loved teasing her, how she'd glare at him sometimes, and how she'd blush at others. He was almost positive that she was in love with him, but she just wouldn't admit it and he was starting to get pissed off.

And then the visits stopped completely. She didn't call, didn't tell him where she was or why she stopped coming, so he decided to check things out, make sure she hadn't gotten into any trouble. After all, she'd stumbled across murders and corpses at every corner while they'd gone around town together, mainly shopping to stock up the Kudo's house. Yukiko and Yusaku had both proven useless in the respect, so they'd sent their daughter out on the shopping missions. (Kaito had just tagged along.)

So there he was, in front of the Kudo mansion, his jaw slack in disbelief, as he watched the Baka kiss Shinichi! He had a hold of her face between his hands, and his eyes were squeezed shut in desperation. But that didn't make Kaito as mad as the look on Shinichi's face! She had a look of complete panic, her eyes open and wide, and she was trying to push the Baka away, but she wasn't as strong as him.

Kaito's instincts screamed at him to run over and punch the stupid Osakan in the face for kissing _his_ Shin-chan, but then he reconsidered. _Would Shinichi want me to do that? She was so independent that maybe she doesn't want my help. And maybe she likes Baka Hattori and is just pretending to struggle? Who knows with this girl? _

Of course, all these thoughts were chased out of his mind when Hattori finally pulled away, eagerly awaiting her response, and the first thing she did was scream, "_Bastard!_ Get _away_ from me! Ugh!" Hattori's face fell, and Kaito could see—through his glee, but just barely—that Shinichi was starting to feel guilty again. _Damn you, Baka! You're trapping her! There's no way that she could tell you how she feels if you guilt-trip her!_

Kaito wanted with all of his being to march over and tell Hattori exactly what he was thinking, but decided to trust Shinichi. _If she really loves me, she'll turn him down. She'll tell him how she really feels. _

Shinichi calmed down, and Kaito could practically see the lies coming out of her mouth, the apologies for pushing him away and that she didn't mean it, but then she stopped. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest, and said, "I'm sorry, Hattori, but I don't love you the way you love me. I'll probably _never_ love you the way you love me, and there's nothing in the world that could change that." The look on Hattori's face made her soften her tense pose and she laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, which he bitterly pushed off. She continued, softer, making Kaito strain to hear her, "I'm sorry that I've mislead you through this past while. I thought that maybe if I tried, I could love you the way you love me. But I can't, and I don't think I can handle hurting you like that anymore. I…I just can't deal with that. So please, stop loving me like that. Go back to Kazuha and make her happy, love her more than me."

Hattori looked like he wanted to say something to her, to hurt her, but he stopped himself. "Fine. I'm sorry, too. I didn't want ta hurt ya," he said, lowering his gaze and softening his voice. "I was so wrapped up in myself that I ignored the facts, the evidence, which is the worst thing a detective could do and I'm ashamed of it." Shinichi smiled slightly, and pulled Hattori into a hug that made Kaito burn with jealousy.

"Friends?" she asked, and Hattori nodded, squeezing her tightly against him for a second before releasing her. Kaito decided this was the time to burst in and make it known that she was _his_ Shin-chan! (Of course, neither of the two that he was proclaiming this to knew it, but that would change if it was the last thing Kaito did!)

"Okay, okay!" he said, hopping over the Kudo's gates. Shinichi looked at him in surprise, which made him smile slightly (he loved surprising her) but the look on the Baka's face was priceless! Obviously, he wasn't as completely over Shinichi as he'd thought.

"Just so you know, if you ever kiss my Shin-chan again, I'll hunt you down and dye your hair pink!" Hattori looked surprised, and then amused. He was obviously going to ask Kaito some ridiculous question that would make the threat some joke, when Kaito spoke first. Just one word.

"Permanently."

This made the Osakan detective reconsider his words. He looked back at Shinichi, who looked amused, and gulped. "Alright. Point made." And then he registered the rest of the thief's words. "Wait, '_yer_ Shin-chan'? What does that mean? Kudo?" He turned to Shinichi, falling back into his habit of using her last name again (making Kaito very smug and happy) who just sighed, rolled her eyes, and kicked Kaito's shin. Really hard.

"Oww! Shin-chan! What was that for?" Kaito yelped, hoping around on one foot, trying to make his throbbing shin feel better. Shinichi was smiling smugly, and Hattori was looking very confused.

Kaito finally just pouted as he stood next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. She sent him a look that said, _'get your hands off of me or die a painful death. Scratch that. Just die.'_ Which was very impressive, seeing as it scared the hell outta Kaito. Hattori laughed, looking much less confused as he realized that Kaito was simply an idiot. Well, at least that what he _thought_ Kaito was.

Kaito gave up on Shinichi, turning to Hattori and saying, "Now that you're broken up, Shin-chan is _mine_ and you can't take her away. So go away!" Kaito glared, and then turned his face away, his nose in the air arrogantly, and gestured for Hattori to leave. "Shoo, shoo, you're not wanted here!" This earned Kaito a kick to his shin, (the same one) and a glare from Shinichi, but he saw something in her beautiful blue eyes. It wasn't irritation, or anger, it was tender, and kind, and something else…something that he hadn't exactly expected. Well, he'd hoped, that was for sure, but he hadn't actually thought it would happen. Shinichi was so cold-hearted, right? She couldn't so easily? Could she? Because the thing he saw in her eyes was definitely something he'd suspected impossible.

Love.

Now, Kaito knew that there was a definite possibility that he was imagining it, that the kick to his shin had gone to his head and made him delusional, or that he was so desperate for it that he'd simply mistaken whatever it really was for love. And yet, when he looked again, there it was. And although there wasn't a lot of it, it was still _there_.

Now this kind of revelation would've made a normal person happy, and they'd probably do something like try to court her, make that love grow, or to run away as fast as they could to get away from it. Some people might kiss her, others might give her a bouquet of roses and a dinner date. But none of these people were Kaito.

So, instead of being normal, Kaito did the first thing that came to him.

He tackled her.

Simple as that. He jumped at her, wrapping his arms and legs around her, making her fall to the ground, and rubbing his cheek against her neck, saying happily, "I _knew_ you liked me! I love you _so much!_ I'm never letting you go again, Shin-chan! Never!" Of course, anyone who had a brain (let me rephrase: anyone who had common sense _plus_ a brain) would know how Shinichi would react.

Kaito was immediately thrown off, and had a foot pressed against his throat, currently cutting of his air supply. "Are you _crazy_?" Shinichi asked incredulously, and the only response that Kaito could give was a wide grin. They stayed in that position for a minute before Shinichi sighed and took her foot away, holding a hand out to him. Slightly dazed, although he made sure to not show it, he took it and stood. He brushed off his jeans nonchalantly as Hattori looked at them in amazement.

"The two of ya are insane, ya know that?" he asked, and Kaito grinned, about to reply that they were, through and through, when Shinichi beat him to it.

"Definitely. Now, how about we go inside, and have lunch or something. I'm starved." Hattori practically ran to the front door of the mansion at the mere mention of food, and told the other two to follow. Kaito looked at him in surprise.

"Fast recovery," he noted, impressed. Shinichi just sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"No, just really good at hiding his pain. Terrible liar, that's for sure, but when he tries really hard, he can make sure that you don't know he's hurt until he tells you it himself. Stubborn goat." She looked at the Osakan with a soft smile, and Kaito immediately reacted.

"No! No looking at him like that! I'm the only guy you can look at!" he exclaimed and she sent him a look that said, _'oh really?'_ but then she smiled.

"Whatever. You're not my boyfriend yet, and if I have anything to say about it, you won't be for a very long time. Plus, I'm not into overly-jealous guys. Not my type." Kaito felt incredibly sad, but then he noticed something in her words.

"Yet? Did you say _'yet'_? Woo! I've gotta chance after all! I love you, Shinichi!" He would've hugged her again, but the look in her eyes suggested something worse than death, so he restrained himself. She gave him a satisfactory nod and continued on. They walked in silence, and Kaito finally gathered enough courage to hold out his hand for her to take. She looked at it for a moment before shrugging and taking it. Kaito was hurt by this indifference until he looked into her eyes and saw that she was really happy.

"Oi, Kudo!" Hattori yelled from the kitchen. "Where's the soy sauce?"

There was a beat of silence between Kaito and Shinichi, before they burst out laughing and entered the kitchen, their hands still connected. This was going to be the most interesting and best thing of Kaito's life, that was for sure. He was going to make it that way, or else. After all, what was someone like Kaito supposed to do with a boring life?

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sorry if its a little rushed in places, but i was starting to get annoyed with Heiji being stupid, and Shinichi being stupid, and Kaito being ignored, so yeah. sorry. Anyways, please review! and i promise, this is NOT the last chapter. if you think it is, then i'm sorry but you're insane! because who doesn't love a good epilogue or two? so just be patient, and i promise the next chapter will be updated soon! thanks for reading and please review!


	12. Chapter 12

This is it! this is the final chapter! Enjoy!

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Chapter 12

Kazuha couldn't believe how lucky she was. A month ago, she was bawling her eyes out because Heiji'd told her that he was in love with Kudo Shinichi, and then that one day happened, when Heiji came back from visiting his supposed girlfriend, and tells Kazuha that things are over between Shinichi and him. She hadn't believed him at first, until she'd finally called up Shinichi herself and demanded to know what was going on. Shinichi had laughed, said that they weren't meant to be, and that Heiji was fair-game, and that she would love it if Kazuha went out with him. Nothing could've surprised Kazuha more, except maybe the fact that Shinichi actually laughed. That was something that Kazuha had never witnessed from Shinichi before. She was usually so cold and quiet around the Osakan, that she barely cracked a smile.

So Heiji had asked her out. Simple and awkward as that. Both had been blushing furiously, looking at the ground nervously, but Kazuha had instantly said yes. Why shouldn't she? She'd been in love with Heiji forever. She wasn't going to give up this chance to get him again.

And now, she was best friends with Shinichi. They called each other daily, Kazuha complaining happily at how stupid Heiji was, and Shinichi telling her about every annoying thing Kaito did. (Kazuha was positive that if she saw Shinichi's face as she described all the things he accomplished, she'd have a smile on her face) It was nice, something that Kazuha had never really experienced before. She had plenty of girl friends, but none of them were quite as easy to talk to about boys with as Shinichi was. Or fun. Kazuha had never realized just how _funny_ Shinichi was, especially when she was talking about other people. It was like she was a totally different person than when she was working on a case with Heiji, which were pretty much the only times she'd ever seen Shinichi.

Kazuha had to admit, it was really nice to have Shinichi on speed-dial whenever she felt like ranting, or just plain talking to someone who understood her. It was definitely better than talking to the over-emotional Ran, although she too was a good friend. But there was _something_ about Shinichi that drew Kazuha to her now that she didn't hate her. Maybe it was the intense loneliness that she sensed sometimes when Shinichi talked about family, about the future. The past. Kazuha never pushed, but she wondered. What was life like for Shinichi? What were the famous Kudo adults like? Did they spoil Shinichi, what with all of their money and huge mansion? Or did they ignore her?

Kazuha knew from Heiji that Shinichi had been living on her own for her whole life almost, that her parents were constantly gone on vacations or somewhere. It must've been tough for Shinichi, being on her own all the time. It was no wonder really that she didn't warm up to many people. Kazuha didn't think she would like to be around happy people much either, if she were in Shinichi's boots. But Shinichi was thawing these days, and Kazuha knew why.

Ever since Kaito, she guessed, Shinichi had been laughing more. Something that Kazuha hadn't seen before. But she knew when she talked on the phone, that Kaito was important to Shinichi. He was her world, even if she hid it as best as she could (which really wasn't that good. Apparently, Shinichi's not the best of actors. Good liar, bad actor. Weird, yes, but what could she do?)

As Kazuha thought all of these things, the phone rang and she jumped slightly. _Wonder who it is…_ She opened the cell, saying, "Moshi moshi?" She wasn't all too surprised when the voice on the other side just happened to be Shinichi's.

"That's it! I'm coming to Osaka! The baka magician has gone too far! I'm never forgiving him, and I'm coming to visit you. I'll be there tomorrow morning!" Kazuha laughed and asked what happened. Shinichi sounded indignant as she answered, "He snuck into my room last night, climbed _through the window _on the _second floor_, and hopped into my bed! Can you believe that? The nerve of the baka! I woke up this morning, and he had his arms around me and I almost killed him! Now I regret it!"

"Regret what?" Kazuha asked, trying to not laugh. She didn't want to upset Shinichi any more, but the girl was hilarious when pissed!

"I regret that I didn't kill him _all the way_! I should've finished him off then and there, and then I wouldn't have to worry about anything! Except that there's no such thing as the perfect murder, but I've been around so many that I wouldn't have a problem getting rid of all the evidence. I'll just say that I want revenge or whatever on the killer and hide anything that could tip me off! That's it! I'm going to do it! Kaito! Come here and die!" Shinichi seemed to forget about Kazuha as she chased the magician around the Kudo mansion, which had been recently emptied of Shinichi's parents, who decided to go back to America.

Before Kazuha closed the phone, she heard Shinichi kick her soccer ball into a wall, a crash, and then a loud yelp as Kaito was struck. She giggled as she hung up, feeling better about Shinichi. She was perfectly fine now that Kaito was there. Kazuha had no reason to worry.

…

"Please forgive me, Shinichi," Kaito begged as he kneeled before her, his face kissing the floor. He knew that he'd messed up big time, and that the only way to get the detective girl to forgive him was to sincerely apologize. Not that he _was_ sincere, because really, he'd _totally_ enjoyed sneaking into her bed and cuddling against her (nothing _naughty_, you sick-minded people) and he'd do it again, that was for sure. It was just this time, he'd leave before she wakes up and kills him for real.

"No. I'm not forgiving you ever again," she said coldly, and Kaito felt himself go cold. He couldn't imagine not having Shinichi around anymore. He needed her, like he needed _air_! If she didn't forgive him, he'd probably _die_! No joke! So he did the only thing he could do.

"I promise on my father's grave that I will _never_ do it again." He felt like crying at the words, because when a Kuroba makes a promise, he _keeps_ that promise. And he really didn't want to. Shinichi seemed satisfied, but Kaito couldn't help but adding, "Unless you want me to." This made her glare all over again, so Kaito stood up quickly, before she could react, and hugged her tightly to him.

"Kaito! Get off of me!" she yelled half-heartedly, and Kaito grinned under his poker face. Keeping a straight face, he pulled away and asked if she really wanted him to. He knew from the blush on her face that he was winning, and leaned his face close into hers. Instantly, she glared, but he ignored it as he pressed his lips against hers gently, kissing her chastely.

Blushing, she pushed him away and said, trying to get her composure back, "Speaking of Kuroba-san, he's been stalking me! I can't go anywhere without him behind me, bugging me all day! Tell him to leave me alone and stalk you, or Chikage or something! I'm tired of him!" Kaito sighed heavily but gave in. He didn't want to push Shinichi too much. She must really be pissed if she pushed him away from a kiss.

"Alright, alright." He closed his eyes and said to his father's ghost that he couldn't see, "You need to stop stalking Shin-chan! She doesn't like perverted old men tailing her all the time, so stalk me, or someone who can't see you. Got it?" He sent Shinichi a wondering look and she nodded, annoyed at whatever Toichi had said in reply.

"He said that he'll stop for now, but that he just wants to make sure that I'm not _cheating_," Shinichi spat, sending a venomous look to the ghost, "and that he thinks that stalking you is no fun and that you live a boring life compared to mine. Bullshit, Kuroba-san!" she said, before turning on her heel and walking up the stairs to her room. Kaito didn't follow, feeling that some alone time was needed, and headed to the kitchen.

After he'd grabbed some food, he sat at the dining table and said aloud, "Really, Tou-san, you shouldn't bully her. She gets it enough from me. Plus, the whole ghost thing's really hard on her, ya know. We should both probably lay off for a while. She's looking stressed." Kaito really wasn't sure if his father was listening to him, but it needed to be said anyways, for Kaito's sake.

…

Yusaku knew something was up with his daughter. Even though he'd spent most of her life away from her, that didn't mean that he was clueless about her. He knew things were tough for her, knew that them being separated was hard on her, and that she was lonely. He knew this, and yet he stayed away anyways. He didn't like being in Japan for too long. It made him uneasy, and sick to his stomach when he stayed for longer than a month or two.

But he was going there right now, because he needed to speak with Shinichi. She wasn't the same anymore, and he wanted to know what happened. He didn't take Yukiko with him because he knew that she didn't particularly care, or even notice anything different about her daughter. So he went by himself.

When he arrived at his house, he saw that Shinichi was lying on the lawn, asleep. Yusaku wondered if he should wake her up, when Toichi's son suddenly came through his front door. When he saw Yusaku, the old writer was sure that the boy's expression became darker and angry, but then the bright smile was in place. Yusaku wasn't fooled. Toichi's son didn't like him at all.

"Hello, Kudo-san. Shinichi's currently sleeping, so if you want to speak with her, you'll have to wait." Yusaku wondered if the boy worked hard on his mask, seeing as it was perfectly in place as he spoke to the older man. Yusaku pushed the thought away as he smiled and nodded.

"I'll do that. I'm sure she must be exhausted from the case. She always pushes herself to the limit when there's a murder involved." Kaito's smile was just as bright as the others, but his eyes were hard.

"And how would you know?" he asked casually, making Yusaku raise his brow slightly.

"Know what? That she was at a murder case? Simply because she—" he was cut off by the dangerous smile that Kaito gave him.

"No, how would you know that she 'pushes herself to the limit' if you're never around? You're rarely here, and you think you can make assumptions like that?" Kaito's temper was rising, and Yusaku was worried that he'd explode or something, when a soft voice interrupted them.

"Kaito, you're being loud again. He's been around me during cases before, so of course he knows what I'm like at them. Now shut up and get me a pillow." Yusaku's eyebrow twitched as he watched all of the anger drain out of the boy at the sound of his daughter's voice, and how the mischievous glint lit his eyes.

"But Shin-chan, I can't help but want to point out that he's a bastard! He was provoking me!" Yusaku chuckled slightly at the childish tone that was so familiar to him, for it was the same tone that Toichi used to use whenever he wanted to cheer someone up. Although, calling him a bastard didn't seem much like cheering up to him, but 'each to their own' he supposed.

"I told you to shut up and get me a pillow," she muttered dangerously and a grin lit the boys face. He moved instantly over to her and lifted her head carefully, and then laying it back down on his stomach. He was lying flat on his back, his hands tucked underneath his head, and his legs straight. Yusaku watched with interest as the expression of irritation, then resignation and finally exhaustion played across Shinichi's face, as she went back to sleep, her pillow the boy's stomach.

"Excuse me, Shinichi," Yusaku said, ignoring the glare that Kaito was sending him, and waited for her response. She merely cracked one of her eyes open and looked expectantly at him, and he went on. "I came to speak with you. I've been worried lately." This time, the look on Kaito's face was one of disgust, which surprised Yusaku somewhat, but not entirely. The boy had obviously heard some wild stories.

"There's no reason for you to be worried," Shinichi said, closing her eye again. "I'm perfectly fine. I feel much better these days." Yusaku looked at the peaceful look on her face and nodded. She _did_ look a lot better than the many times he'd seen her before. Maybe this trip was all for nothing.

"Alright. I was just worried. I'll be leaving now." He turned on his heel, getting a sick feeling in his stomach, and wishing he was far from Japan. He didn't get any reply from the two teenagers, but he didn't really mind. He knew that to be forgiven for abandoning the girl would be hard, near impossible for the Kuroba boy, but he'd work at it slowly. He could be patient.

…

Shinichi sighed as she closed her eyes again, concentrating on the rhythmic way Kaito's stomach moved as he breathed. Seeing her father suddenly show up was enough of a shock, but having him say that he's actually worried about her, that just confused her.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" she asked softly, knowing that Kaito was listening to her. She felt his breathing speed slightly for a second before he calmed it back down, and sighed heavily.

"I don't know. He came all the way from America, right? That probably means something, and the way he just left without mentioning anything else says something too, so he probably was worried. I don't know why he would be, though. He's never done this kind of thing before, has he?" he asked and she shrugged.

"No, not really, but I guess he's a bit more observant than Kaa-san, so I'm not surprised that he noticed something, although I wonder what he was worried about. Maybe he mistook me hanging out with a whacko as something to be worried about. Hell, _I_ would be worried about that too." Kaito sent her a pout that she ignored, and rolled to her side, her cheek on his stomach and her face facing his.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. He's just an old bastard. He doesn't deserve you thinking about him." She sighed but smiled slightly, feeling better. She yawned suddenly, and closed her eyes again.

"Okay. I'm going to sleep," she murmured, and snuggled closer to him. He nodded and lifted his hand to caress her hair. She smiled as she thought of how much better her life was now that Kaito was there. Now that she wasn't alone.

It was nice.

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Did you like it? i hope so! but, because i love this story so much that i've become attached, i'm making a sequel. i don't have too many details (none really) but it's going to be of the next generation! So, like, the kids of these guys! Exciting, isn't it? The first chapter will be out sooner or later, most likely sooner! Thanks for being great supporters, and please review! i really want to hear over all thoughts on the story!


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